My father wanted to learn how to skate,
I told him you can learn it's never too late.
So going to the rink with a gleam in his eyes,
I promised to help him as long as he tries.
So tying his laces as tight as he could,
he got to his feet, wobbling as he stood.
He tripped, fumbled, toppled and stumbled,
wanting my help, asking for advice,
"Daddy," I cried, "You haven't even got on the ice!"
He grabbed my hand and put a foot on the ice,
what happened then, I had to look twice.
My daddy sped across the rink with such force,
throwing everyone on the rink off course.
People were landing here and there,
while my daddy was spinning in midair.
He was hollering and screaming with sheer delight,
my daddy was a natural, he was out of sight.
He did spins and turns, flailing his arms in the air,
zigzagging this way and that, without even a care.
He did figure eights with such grace and such ease,
gliding across the ice on his hands and knees.
He did somersaults, back flips, forward flips too,
as the crowd in the arena suddenly grew.
People came rushing in from all over town,
to see the greatest skater around.
He twirled and danced, spinning around on the spot,
the next thing we knew, he took off like a shot.
Then he lost his balance and started to fly,
doing splits three feet in the sky.
He flew higher and higher, wailing as he went,
then came crashing down as he made his descent.
He landed with a smack, flat on his back,
as everyone around him gave a loud gasp.
And getting up slowly, grabbing onto my hands,
he left the ice gracefully as people cheered in the stands.
From that day on my daddy has vowed,
never to skate in front of a crowd.
I'll never forget how proud and how great,
my daddy was when he learned how to skate.